Author Archives: Diana Safieh

Session II: International Law and Human RightsChair: John McHugo (BP Trustee)Keynote Speaker: Baroness Helena Kennedy QCPanellists: Iain Scobbie, Daniel Seidemann & Victor Kattan John McHugo: Good morning, everyone. My name is John McHugo. I’m a trustee of the Balfour Project … Continue reading →

Introduction Welcome: Sir Vincent Fean (BP Chair of Trustees) Video Message from HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan Session I: History Chair: Andrew Whitley (BP Trustee) Keynote Speaker: Avi Shlaim Panellists:Menachem Klein, Mick Dumper, Salim Tamari Sir Vincent … Continue reading →

By Richard Burden, October 20, 2020 This week marks six years since the House of Commons voted, by 274 to 12, for Britain to recognise the State of Palestine alongside Israel. It was the first time in decades that Parliament … Continue reading →

Review by Patrick Seale, originally printed in The Financial Times, 2011. The story of how Britain and France carved up the Arab world between them after the first world war has often been told but James Barr’s new book, A … Continue reading →

By Ian S. Lustick from Logos, a journal of modern society and culture. For more than forty years experts and politicians have warned of Israel’s creeping de facto annexation of the West Bank. In 1982 Meron Benvenisti and Thomas Friedman … Continue reading →

A live online talk by Ahmad Khalidi Click here to reserve your place. Ahmad Samih Khalidi is a Senior Associate Member of St Antony’s College, Oxford, Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and Senior Fellow at the Institute … Continue reading →

A commentary by Andrew Whitley, with introduction by Sir Vincent Fean I commend to you Andrew Whitley’s thoughtful analysis, below, of current British Government policy on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Andrew asks if our Foreign Secretary’s recent visit signals sustained Government … Continue reading →

Thursday 24 September 2020 Click here to view video. 3.13 pm Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) (Lab)I beg to move, That this House has considered settlement and annexation of the Occupied Palestinian territories. This country has a unique place in history and … Continue reading →

Below you will find both audio and video recordings, as well as transcripts, of each session of our Online Conference on 27 October 2020. Click here for conference brochure. Click here to read the statement. IntroductionWelcome: Sir Vincent Fean (BP … Continue reading →

“Real peace begins in Palestine” An Open Letter to The Most Reverend David Malloy, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois, ChairUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on International Justice and Peace They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” … Continue reading →

Published by Mondoweiss on 20 August 2020 by Jeff Wright “Annexation could be the final straw when it comes to a viable Christian presence in Palestine,” declare pastors representing four of the Holy Land’s historic denominations. “For Palestine, Bethlehem and … Continue reading →

Published in The Guardian, 30 Aug 2020 by Oliver Holmes, Jerusalem Correspondent Exclusive: architect leaked plans to Jewish militants leading to raid seen as signifying London’s declining control The family of a decorated British civil servant who built a notorious … Continue reading →

A live online talk given in October 2020. Ian Black: Thanks very much for inviting me to give this talk. It is based on the research for my book, Enemies and Neighbours: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017, … Continue reading →

Guidance for Teaching Controversial Issues Advice from the National Education Union – Conflict in the Middle East: Issues for Schools. National Education Union (NEU)This guidance identifies challenges which teachers may face teaching this topic and provides guidance on how to approach … Continue reading →

A talk given online in September 2020. Alon Liel is a courageous man. He dares to speak truth to power, and knows the cost of this in his own life. While calling for an end to occupation and for equal … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Northover (Lib Dem) on 24th September 2020 (HL8468) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made ofreports that the government of Israel is demolishing water, sanitation and hygiene structures used by Palestinians in the West … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Janke (lib Dem) on 7th February 2022 (HL6030) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recognise Palestine as an independent state. Answer from Lord Ahmed (Conservative) on 21st February 2022 We continue to work … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Sheehan (Lib Dem) on 21st May 2021 (HL535) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of reductions in the Overseas Development Assistance Budget on donations to organisations bringing humanitarian aid to … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Tonge (Independent) on 18th january 2021 (HL12261) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all Palestinians are able to vote freely in (1) the elections for the legislature on 22 May, … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 24th January 2022 (HL5626) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to protect Palestinians in territories occupied by Israel from damage to olive groves and crops by Israeli settlers. Answer from … Continue reading →

Question by Caroline Ansell (Conservative) on 24th May 2022 (UIN8084) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the removal of material … Continue reading →

Business and Trade – Oral Questions to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Business and Trade:– Kate Osamor: I understand that the Government are set to undertake a second round of trade negotiations with Israel in the spring. Israel applies our current … Continue reading →

Q Asked by Baroness Tonge (Independent) on 14 January 2019 Department for International Development: Gaza: Young People: HL12814 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Bank’s findings in October 2018 that there is 70 … Continue reading →

Question from Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 1st February 2023 (HL5314) To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effects of the Israeli blockade of Gaza on people living there; and in particular, what assessment they … Continue reading →

Question from Andy McDonald (Labour) on 4 July 2022 (UIN 30027) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on ending the blockade of Gaza in compliance … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 23rd May 2022 (HL422) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the presence of armed Israeli forces at St Joseph’s hospital on 13 May, (2) the actions of … Continue reading →

Question by the Bishop of Southwark on 9th January 2023 (HL4594) To ask His Majesty’s Government what representation they have made to the government of Israel to safeguard and protect religious minorities in that country following the desecration of graves … Continue reading →

Question from Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 1st February 2023 (HL5318) To ask His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding (1) the right of Palestinians living in Israel (a) to hold Israeli citizenship, … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Sheehan (Lib Dem) on 10th January 2022 (HL5266) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the treatment of Palestinians and their property during night raids by Israeli forces. … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Sheehan (Lib Dem) on 23rd May (HL453) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of Israeli forces using a girl as a human shield, and then bombing … Continue reading →

Question from Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 1st February 2023 (HL5315) To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the expulsion of Palestinian residents from the Masafer Yatta area of the West Bank; and what discussions they … Continue reading →

Question: by Baroness Tonge (Independent) on 10 June 2019 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hebron, (HL16231) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the consequences for Palestinian children in Hebron of the removal of the Temporary International Presence … Continue reading →

Question from Seema Malhotra (Labour) on 8th February 2023 To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the situation in Jenin. Answer by David Rutley (Conservative) on 20th February 2023 … Continue reading →

Question by Wera Hobhouse (Lib Dem) on 18th January 2023 (UIN 126759) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Israeli Government over settlement expansion and demolitions of Palestinian … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Janke on 15th June 2022 (HL993) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry report on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, published on 9 May; and in … Continue reading →

Question by Baroness Janke (Lib Dem) on 1st February 2022 (HL5843) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they intend to offer, if any, to the COVID-19 vaccination programme for Palestinians in Gaza, given reports of shortages of medical equipment. … Continue reading →

Question by Rupa Huq Labour, Ealing and central Acton on 28th August 2020 (UIN82211) To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has held with his counterparts in other European states on reaching … Continue reading →

Oral Answer on Monday 6th July 2020 1. Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime:– Dominic Raab (Conservative, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs):  Mr Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a … Continue reading →

A talk given online on 30th June 2020. John McHugo is a trustee of the Balfour Project and a board member of CAABU, The Council for Arab British Understanding. This paper is the edited text of a Balfour Project talk … Continue reading →

Parallel Histories have developed a series of videos for teaching disputed history starting with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They have produced a film  ‘Should the British government be praised or blamed for the Balfour Declaration?’.  Do watch it. They also have many … Continue reading →

An interview with Banjamin Balthaser, published on Jacobin The roots of modern Zionism are in colonialism. This was the foundation of the Jewish left’s opposition to Zionism in the 1930s and ’40s, on the grounds that it is a form … Continue reading →

By Robert A. H. Cohen, published on Mondoweiss, 30 July 2020 Progressive rabbis in the UK have written to the Israeli embassy in London to express their concern over the Israeli government’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank. … Continue reading →

A talk given online in August 2020. Tim Llewellyn: Hello, everyone. I want to start by saying two basic things to plan out, to map out my thesis, if you like, about the British media coverage, particularly the broadcasting media … Continue reading →

Published in The Middle East Eye on 1 November 2017. It’s been nearly 100 years since the document changed the course of history, yet Britain still fails to acknowledge Israel’s denial of the Palestinian right to national self-determination – and … Continue reading →